Goods support for pallets



Nov. 4, 1969 E. A. SJOBLOM GOODS SUPPORT FOR PALLETS v5 Sheets-Shet 1 Filed May 5, 1968 E/P/C A'KE 61/554 OM /-vE- TOQ BY way? 1969 E. A. sJdBLoM 3,476,060

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A 7' TORNEK United States Patent US. Cl. 108-55 8 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE The present invention relates to a device for releasable locking of a goods support to pallets, wheeled pallets and similar structures, said support comprising a wall element, the locking being obtained by moving the wall elements in a direction towards each other and releasing being effected by moving them in a direction away from each other.

The object of the invention is to provide a simple and safe goods support of the explained kind. The object aimed at is according to the present invention achieved by providing the wall element at each end with a frame section having at its lower end catch means adapted to be inserted into a sleeve or a recess serving as a securing means and arranged at each corner of the pallet and on lateral substantially horizontal displacement of the associated frame section said catch means being movable in relation to said securing means so as to engage said securing means and thus to lock the goods support to the pallet on lateral displacement in one direction of the catch means and on lateral displacement in the opposite direction to release the goods support from the securing means and the pallet.

It is known releasably to mount on pallets goods supports comprising a frame, a similar wall comprising two parts each with catch means and being displaceable (1) to a position locked to the pallet and (2) to a releasing position for its mounting on and removing from said pallet, said catch means in looking position being adapted to be locked at a corner of the pallet and in the releasing position to be released from said corner. Hitherto known goods supports of this kind have, however, been .rather complicated and are often provided with locking means which require beaters for being released.

One object of the present invention is to provide a simple and safe goods support of the kind described which may be locked to and released from the pallet without use of any separate tools. Thus, the invention relates to a device for releasably locking goods supports to pallets, wheeled pallets and similar structures,-and said goods support comprises a wall element having at each end vertical frame portions laterally movable by means of operating means acting one of said frame portions and designed as an eccentric arm or lever or the like, pivoted to one of said frame portions, said pivoting of said arm causing said frame parts of the goods support to move towards each other or away from each other. The main feature of the invention is that the lower end of the frame portion carries catch means, if desired of book shape, and adapted to be inserted into sleeves or recesses at the corners of the pallet and serving as securing means. Upon lateral movement of the corresponding frame portion said catch means are adapted to move laterally in relation to said sleeve or recess generally in horizontal direction to engage the securing means so as to lock the goods support at the pallet or lateral movement and in one direction to release the 3,476,060 Patented Nov. 4, 1969 goods support from the attachment means and the pallet on lateral movement in the opposite direction.

According to another aspect of the invention the sleeve or recess has, in horizontal projection, a shape tapering in one direction.

According to a further aspect of the invention the goods support at its lower end is divided into two sections mutually movable and each one carrying a vertical frame portion. Said sections are guided in guiding means engaging each other and may further be spring actuated. The eccentric arm or lever may be guided in a curved guide.

The arm may be bent angularly and is at the side of its pivot point linked to one end of a link, the latter being at its other end pivoted to a portion connected to the adjoining frame portion carrying the catch means. Said catch means is preferably shaped as a U and may be provided with e.g. an engagement portion in the shape of a recess and adapted to lock the catch means to the securing means on the pallet or a similar construction.

Some embodiments will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a front elevation of the goods support with catch means and releasable eccentric means.

FIG. 2 shows a section of the goods support with the locking means in locking position,

FIG. 3 shows another section of the goods support according to a modified embodiment,

FIG. 4 shows a part of a wheeled pallet on which the goods support is to be arranged,

FIG. 5 shows a further modification of the goods support when locked to the attachment means,

FIG. 6 illustrates the position of the goods support shown in FIG. 5 in non-locked position,

FIG. 7 shows, on an enlarged scale, a detail of the device in locked position, and

FIG. 8 shows the securing means shown in FIG. 7 in view from above with the catch means in locking position.

Referring now to FIGS. 1 and 2 it can be seen that the goods support comprises a frame or a wall 1 with side posts 2 which at their lower ends carry catch means 3. The latter are adapted, at the mounting of the goods support e.g. on a wheeled pallet 4 (FIG. 4) to be inserted in corner fittings 5 on said pallet, these fittings having the shape of tube pieces or sleeves. The insertion is facilitated since the two posts 2 and the catch means 3 for each corner of the pallet on mutually movable sections of the goods support. The posts 2 may e.g. be slightly flexibly attached and when in a position bent inwards (see phantom lines L in FIG. 1) a sufliciently short space will be left between the catch means 3 in the two corners to render possible an insertion into the tube pieces 5. In this way the inward movement of the catch means may be obtained e.g. by means of an eccenter arm 7 pivoted at 6 to the frame 1. The eccenter arm may either be used to displace the catch means 3 in the manner described towards each other into their mounting and releasing position or in direction away from each other into the locked position of the goods support in which the catch means 3 are urged to locking position.

FIG. 2 illustrates an embodiment of the last mentioned type in which the arm 7 has its pivot point 6 situated at the post 2 and by means of a shoulder 8 is adapted to engage a slot 9 or a guide on a section 10 of the goods support which is movable relative to this post 2. Part 11 of the section 10 may be displaced into and out of a sleeve or tube element 12 attached to the post 2. FIG. 2 shows with unbroken lines the arm 7 in its position when the shoulder 8 on the arm 7 engages the lower portion of the groove 9 so as to urge the catch means 3 outwardly to lock them to the tube element 5 which may be V- shaped. When from this position the arm 7 is swung upwards (phantom lines), the catch means 3 may be moved inwards by means of the arm so as to be released from the tube element 5 so that the entire support may be removed from the pallet 4. In this position, the shoulder 8 co-operates with part of the top section of the groove 9 as shown with dashand dot-lines.

The portion 12 may be provided with a pin 14 which is guided in a notch 15 in the part 11.

When the groove 9 is turned, movement of the arm 7 will cause an opposite effect, i.e. the catch means will be moved inwardly instead of outwardly on upwards movement of the arm.

Instead of or in addition to the arm 7 it is possible to provide a compression spring 13 which has the tendency to move the catch means 3 outwards to the locking position. The movement inwards can be effected by means of the arm 7 which in this case (and also in other embodiments) may be releasable. When the spring 13 as v well as the fixed arm 7 are used, the spring is compressed in the top position of the arm and the distance between the catch means 3 has its minimum value. The catch means 3 of the goods support could then be moved down in the securing means 5 of the wheeled pallet whereupon the arm 7 is moved to its lower position and the spring with its tension effect will take up the pressure so as to maintain the support in its position.

FIG. 3 shows an embodiment according to which the goods support at its lower end is divided into two sections 1a, 1b interconnected at the top and somewhat movable in relation to each other. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 these sections 1a, 1b carry posts and pins or catch means 3. The latter are in this case turned towards each other. The movement of the sections 1a, 1b for locking or releasing of the catch means is carried out by means of an arm 7 which is pivoted to section 1a at 6 and by means of a pin 17 it can co-operate with a curved guiding means 16 on section 1b. It is contemplated that the sections 1a, 1b by means of a swinging movement of the arm 7 in one direction will be moved towards each other and on swinging in the opposite direction they will be moved in a direction away from each other. The securing means 5 may be generally V-shaped so as to impart an increased stability to the goods support. The pins 3 need not reach the bottom of the V-notch when completely inserted.

The device described in the aforegoing has turned out to function extremely well when practically used but it can nevertheless be further improved as shown in FIGS. 5-8 on the attached drawings as will be described in the following.

In the same way as in the previous embodiment, the goods support 1 comprises a wall element having vertical frame portions or posts 2 which at the lower ends are provided with essentially U-shaped catch means 3 to be inserted into securing means 5 on the pallet or wheeled pallet in said securing means 5 being sleeve-like. The lower frame section is divided at 20 and comprises, as in the embodiment shown in FIG. 2 two sections 11, 12 telescoping relative each other. The catch means is connected to one 12 of these sections 11, 12. The two frame sections 2 of the goods support frame may in this way be moved somewhat in directions towards or away from each other horizontally with a certain resiliency of the goods support frame. A compressed spring may be provided between the portions 11 and 12.

For facilitating this relative movement, an eccenter of lever arm 7, preferably curved or angled, is at 21 pivoted to sections 11 and is by means of a link 24 at both ends at 22 and 23, respectively, pivoted to section 12. When the arm 7 is swung to the position shown in FIG. 6 (which preferably may be effected by the operator pressing his foot against the arm) the two vertical frame sections 2 and thus also their catch means 3 will be moved towards each other so that these means 3 easily may be inserted into their securing means 5. Upon pressing down part 7a of the arm 7 the catch means 3 will be separated somewhat from each other to the position shown in FIGS. 5 and 7 and thus the catch means 3 will be locked in their securing means 5. This locking may be further facilitated by providing the catch means with a shoulder 3a below the securing means 5. The latter tapers preferably at one end of 5b (FIG. 8) so as to secure a certain clamping effect between the catch means 3 and this end 5b.

On mounting a goods support 1, e.g. onto a wheeled pallet the catch means 3 is first inserted into the securing means 5 whereupon the operator presses down the locking end 711 of the arm by means of his foot, and when he desires to remove the support 1 he hasonly to push down the opposite end of the arm 7 by means of his foot and lift away the support.

Of importance in this embodiment is the pre-tension (which may be reinforced by an additional spring) which exists in the adjacent frame section 2 serving as a spring and retaining the catch means 3 at a certain minimum distance. Hereby, the arm 7 will be caused to assume a position in which it may be pushed down to locking position by actuation from the foot without time losses and additional operations.

So as to further increase the spring effect of the adjacent frame section 2, the securing part of the catch means may be elongated so as to extend somewhat upwards along the frame section 2.

The securing means 5 may have a plate 5a for being attached to the pallet or the wheeled pallet. Of course details of the embodiment described in the aforegoing with reference to FIGS. 1-4 may, when they are applicables, be used also in the embodiment according to FIGS. 5-

The invention has been described in the aforegoing for purposes of illustration only and is not intended to be limited by this description or otherwise except as defined in the appended claims. Thus, locking may be obtained by displacing the different parts of the goods support in a direction towards each other instead of being brought apart.

The locking means described may be located either at the lower side of one of the goods supports or at its lower central portion. The arm 7 may e.g. comprise bent fiat iron or iron rods. The two catch means 3 may be resilient by attached or journalled to each other by means of a tube forming the outer frame of the goods support of e.g. U- shape.

What I claim is:

1. An arrangement for locking a goods support to pallets, wheeled pallets and similar structures, said gOOdS support comprising a wall element having at each end vertical frame sections mutually displaceable in lateral direction by means of operation means actuating said sections and pivoted to one of them, said operation means being in the form of a lever arm to move said frame sections of the goods support either towards one another or away from each other, one said frame section at its lower end carrying catch means and adapted to be inserted into a sleeve having a recess serving as securing means arranged at the corners of said pallet, said catch means on lateral displacement of the frame section being displaceable in relation to said securing recess on an essentially horizontal lateral displacement in one direction to engage said securing means and thus to lock the goods support to the pallet and on lateral displacement in the opposite direction to release the goods support from the securing means and the pallet.

2. An arrangement as claimed in claim 1, wherein the sleeve in horizontal section has a shape tapering in one direction.

3. An arrangement as claimed in claim 1 in which the goods support at its lower end is divided into two mutually displaceable sections each carrying a vertical frame portion and wherein said sections are mutually movably guided by guiding means engaging each other.

4. An arrangement as claimed in claim 3, wherein the mutually displaceable sections are operated by spring means.

5. An arrangement as claimed in claim 1, wherein the lever arm is guided in a curved guide.

6. An arrangement as claimed in claim 1, wherein the lever arm preferably is curved and at one side of its pivot is swingably connected to one end of a link, the latter being at its other end pivoted to a portion which is connected to the adjacent frame section carrying the catch means.

7. An arrangement as claimed in claim 6, wherein the catch means is U-shaped.

catch means is provided with an engagement part shaped as a recess and adapted to lock the catch means to the securing means arranged on the pallet.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,188,839 6/1916 Schell 108-55 XR 2,956,763 10/1960 DArca 108-53 3,177,823 4/1965 Entel 108-53 3,277,848 10/1966 Range et al. 108-55 3,348,723 10/1967 Wilson 108-55 BOBBY R. GAY, Primary Examiner 8. An arrangement as claimed in claim 6, wherein the 15 G. O. FINCH, Assistant Examiner 

